Pariah, and Legend
by Lazer-Man
Summary: I had a lot of choices. I could just continue my jolly little trip across the world as everyone from the most incompetent of the Sabbat and the most persistent of the Camarilla had a hold over me, in their little games of politics and war, or I could do something spontaneous and unexpected. As usual I picked none of the above and became a teacher. Probably the worst choice I made.
1. The first and last class

**Disclaimer:** I own neither the World of Darkness nor Rosario + Vampire. Just the shoes I got on my feet and that's about it. Also, I own my soul. If you're a malicious otherworldly entity I can't let you have that. That includes you, God. You're a dick. I don't like you.

x

"I was imagining something more on the dreadful side of things." My voice was thick with sarcasm, mind you.

The sight before me was truly appalling. The red sky, the worn out and withered trees, and the tombstones? Who thought it was a good idea to bury the dead near a school's campus? I can hardly imagine the sort person it would be.

Maybe Romero. He liked zombies. A graveyard would suit him just fine.

I hated them of course but that has more to do with the fact I was almost eaten by zombies in a graveyard. What great fun that was.

"Now where was that map…" That peculiar driver with the glowing red eyes had given me one, and chuckled saying something about some missing students. Knowing my luck the tombstones were probably for them. Hopefully, I won't share such a grim fate. Dying once is more than enough, thank you very much.

"So, it should be around here."

That's right though. I haven't divulged much about myself yet have I? Well, I am a cainite or a kindred if you would. I was once a man once but no longer. Now I lurk the nights as any base beast would. Don't call me a vampire though. I hate the word. My hair is black cut short, and my eyes a grayish blue. My button up shirt is red as blood, and my jeans are dark ebony. The same goes for my sneakers. Black and red. Just what I like.

My name is something I have thrown away. Now I am merely a drifter and an adventurer much like an old friend of mine. If you would have to call me by anything, just refer to me as Ryutaro Hiryu. That's not my real name but when in Rome do as the Roman's do. It's easier to slip around when you don't have a name that's going to stick out like a sore thumb anyway.

Particularly, when you don't want to be found by certain parties that are less than savory. In fact, that's the reason I am here in the first place.

I would have preferred it if I didn't have to go to school again but I have little else to grasp onto after the mess I left behind in Los Angeles. It's this or I spend the rest of my life on the run.

That Headmaster was an odd one though.

"_So, you are Maximillian's protégé?" The Headmaster is quick to interrogate me. Scrutinizing my every inch, to see any signs of anxiety or hesitation. It disgusts me but I don't let it show. However, I will admit he has some good taste. This mansion of his is stunning for the lack of the better word, and this office of his is nearly identical to the one Sebastian LaCroix had. The white limestone makes it quite eye searing at times though. _

"_I am just a friend of his." I manage a smile, as false as it was. I learned to get good at faking smiles when dealing with people I don't like. So, it's much easier to kill them if it becomes necessary. I could tell the moment I saw this yokai that he had plans for me. I don't like it when people have plans for me. _

_Ming-Xiao and Sebastian LaCroix could attest to that. Well, they could if they were still alive. _

"_I see. You did learn of thaumaturgy from him though?" The Headmaster steeples his fingers as he asks me that innocent little question._

_Trying to measure what I am capable of, are you? How cute. _

"_Yes, I learned of the path of blood from Strauss." I omit the fact I also made personal ventures into learning of blood rituals with old Max as well. "I also have some skill in the disciplines of celerity and fortitude. Decided to mix things up a bit, just in case." He doesn't need to know how adept I was at potence. "As well as becoming quite studied in auspex." Not to mention becoming skillful enough in the discipline of dominate that even Sebastian LaCroix could not match my will by the time I left him for dead. "I learned a few tricks of the trade from a gangrel, and got the hang of animalism a while back." Not to mention I become learned enough in protean to change my shape. Another thing our dear Headmaster does not need to know. "Then I decided it would be wise to learn obfuscate." Gary Golden was the model example of a gentleman, and after I helped Mitnick set up that new nosferatu network throughout Los Angeles he was happy to teach me a thing or two. "You know, so I could better uphold the masquerade. It's very useful." The rest I would just keep to myself. _

"_That's an impressive the list you have got there." The Headmaster makes no signs of showing if he knows I was only telling him half of the truth. Considering my track record with "business associates" it's best to assume he does. Never underestimate anyone. If anything you should always overestimate them. That's the most important thing I learned since becoming a creature of the night. _

_That, and I shouldn't trust anyone no matter who they are. _

"_Yes, I became especially infamous for how quickly I grew in strength during the debacle in Los Angeles. The right hand of the prince that slew elder kindred hundreds of his years his senior at dear Sebastian LaCroix's beck and call. A neonate that was almost a caitiff at that!" I muse on how honest I should be here. I might as well be honest about something. "I am sure you know the rest. The prince betrayed me after he used me to ignite a war with the Anarchs and I punished him thoroughly for it." I really did enjoy cutting the weasel open and letting him bleed out on the marble floor of his office. It was positively satisfying. If it just didn't leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Oh Sebastian, how you let your ambitions destroy you so completely. How power drives good men mad._

_He was not a bad prince as far as things went. Strict and a liar but he did care about discretion. He did care about the kine caught between the tensions of anarch and camarilla. If only that it was for more than just some flimsy masquerade. _

_It wasn't. _

"_Yes, I am surprised by how well the camarilla covered things up after your rampage through the city." The Headmaster ceases to steeple his fingers to take a drink of some coffee he had ordered. A servant of his arrived with it earlier as I was talking about Sebastian._

_It smells wonderful with a distinct hint of hazelnut to it. I miss coffee. I wonder how much I could drink before my body violently ejects it out of my stomach. The curse of caine is a potent one. _

_The Headmaster notices. "Would you like some blood to ease your stomach? _

"_Depends on the vintage. I have a taste for certain types of blood." _

_That catches the Headmaster's eye. "Are you not a tremere? I thought that weakness was the ventrue's? _

"_I am but that doesn't mean I gorge myself on just anyone's blood. I have a certain standard in regards to that." I don't waste blood. However, when I drink blood for the simple sake of self-satisfaction it's only from people I like. It's a personal habit of mine. I would just rather it be with a friend… or a lover. _

_It's something that should be intimate in private and even better when done during acts of passion. Jeanette Voerman may have had her own problems to deal with but she knew how to have fun. The baron of Santi Monica taught me to appreciate the act after death. I thank her for that. Venus and VV both appreciated that Jeanette taught me to appreciate it as well. _

_They appreciated it enough to wake the entire neighborhood._

"_My servants won't mind offering you blood if that's what you're worried about. A few of them are even human."_

_I raise a brow at that. "You sure that's safe for them?"_

_The Headmaster waves his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry, they get along fine here. I make sure of that." _

_Ah, so he keeps the youkai in his abode in check. Why humans though?_

"_You're wondering why humans, right?" The Headmaster smirks. A lucky guess._

"_It's odd and I would think it would violate the masquerade." It's true but these yokai have different standards when it comes to that, don't they?_

"_They are not allowed to speak of it anyone of course. Neither the humans or the monsters but it lets me see just how possible it is for us to live together." The Headmaster's answer makes me chuckle._

"_You speak of something like Carthage then?" My reply makes the Headmaster's grin stretch out to inhuman proportions. It would be unusual if he was human. _

"_I speak of a possible peace between these many different monsters and men. I speak of a utopia where men do not have to fear the night, and where monsters do not have to fear mobs with fire and pitchforks." The Headmaster says it with such desire, it's enough to make me believe he truly believes in it. "I believe there was another of your kind that thought similarly once. That something like that could be possible. That something like Carthage could be made with the hands of my kind, like it was the brujah so many years ago. What do you think of it, young cainite?"_

"_I think it's a spectacularly tragic ideal, and that even if you succeed in creating something like Carthage the same fate that befell Carthage would befall this utopia of yours." This deserves honesty. "The world is simply too irrevocably broken for anything like that to last forever. There comes a time where every paradise must be burnt to the ground. When men kill their brothers, and they are banished from it."_

_The Headmaster laughs, and it's full of a true mirth. "Spoken like a true cainite. So, do you think it's worth it regardless of that cruel truth? Or, do you think the mad dream of an old man is not worth chasing after?"_

_I may start to like this Headmaster. If only a little. "Neither but it would certainly be wonderful while it lasts don't you think? It would be something worth seeing if only for a little while."_

"_That it would." The Headmaster murmurs wistfully, as if he looking at some distant thing that he can't quite see._

"_What do I have do with all of this?" I catch the man in his wistfulness, his plans for me let out to bare for me to see once and for all. _

"_You were human once. You know what it's like to be like them. You know of the fear of the unknown but you also know what it's like to be us. You know what it's like to have strength. Yet, you choose to cling your humanity." The Headmaster stares at me, as if seeing into my soul._

"_Why is that?"_

_I am silent for the longest time before I answer him. _

"_If I was more of a cynic I would say it's because of how young I am. I am little more than a neonate. Though, I make up that age difference with experience and my own potent blood. As a kindred I have only lived five years. In that time, I have learned more than many elders would dream of. I have faced things that would terrify even the most fearless of warriors. So no, despite my age I cling to my humanity because that is who I am and I cannot change that. Not a hundred years, not a thousand years, and not even a million years will change that. What I am now I will be for the rest of my days until Gehenna comes and I meet my final death."_

_It was mouthful but there it was. That's all there was to it. It was in my nature to be human, and treat others with the dignity as such. Just as the beast in me thirsts for blood. I thirst for the companionship of what I once was. It is a thirst that I cannot control or extinguish. _

"_That's an excellent answer, and with that I have an offer for you young cainite…"_

"A position in my school as a teacher of human ethics and culture?" I repeat what the Headmaster had offered me as if wondering if it was real or not. The legend and pariah of Los Angeles, the bane of the Sabbat, and the killer of mortal and immortal alike is now a teacher of _ethics_.

I am not sure I am the right person to teach that after all I have been through. Seriously, but it was just too good an offer to be true. It was in another dimension where neither the Sabbat or the remnants of the Kuei-jin could reach me. I did not have to run anymore, and it was thanks to Maximillian Strauss introducing me to this naïve Headmaster.

Whose name I still don't even know by the way. Why did I trust this guy again? Oh right, the whole load of nonsense about coexistence between humans and monsters. Yeah, that will go by swimmingly. I remember the last time I tried to make peace with a human and tell them I was a cainite. They shot me, several times. And that was my mother.

What hope do I have to teach a bunch of monsters to get along with their food?

"Excuse me, sir." That's when I notice the distinctly Japanese boy that was trying to get my attention.

"Oh yes, what can I help you with kid?" I answer him on instinct, and almost miss the distinct aroma coming from the boy.

"You wouldn't happen to know where the school is. I am kind of… lost." Tsukine Aono was a simple teenager, with simple grades, and simple ambitions. If only he knew how much that would change in the future. It might have salvaged him his humanity.

That's nothing for him to worry about now though. It's time for him to get to his homeroom. He can't be late for his first day at school in this noticeably weird forest in this very unusual place where the sky is always a deep blood red. Yes, just ignore the creepy stuff. This is the only chance you got kid.

It was nice knowing ya.

"You're new I suppose? Me too. I am going to be teaching here starting today. Just follow me I got a map from that driver with the, uh, weird glowing eyes." I could tell almost right away. The boy was practically human. There were two possibilities. The glamor he had was powerful enough it could trick my nose. Which would be a distinct possibility depending on what he is or what family he belongs to. There are only a few that can do that though. The last one that could was a hengeyokai I killed years ago. Those are rare though so I delve into a strength of my curse.

Auspex, the power of seeing things that normal senses can't quite notice. Amongst other many tricks of the mind to go along with it ranging from telepathy to astral projection. I'm good enough at it. What I need now is too see and I do.

White. Pure. Very, very human. Oh boy, that is one unlucky person.

"Alright, listen here kid. I teach human ethics and apparently I am a specialist in that area or at least some people think I am a specialist for some reason." I grab him by the shoulder. "You got any problems, any questions, any _concerns_… come to me. I have a feeling this is going to be a tough place for youngsters like you. You might need my help." I let go and he gives me a worried look, like I just given him some sort of death sentence. Maybe now he is realizing just how weird this place is. "My name is Hiryu Ryutaro. I am a business man of sorts and I have dealt in both blood and politics. What I am really good at is riling things up, and figuring out my way in a fight. Come on, I think you will understand once you get into my class."

The Headmaster told me he had surprise students like this. I didn't approve of it when he told me but he seemed adamant in that it was necessary for kine and beast to coexist.

Teaching a monster to be human is one thing, it's teaching them both to get along that was the real test. What a loony bastard. I wonder how many kid's lives he ruined by letting stuff like this happen.

I really did think I was going to like that Headmaster too. Not the first time I was disappointed. It happens a lot. Isn't that right, Jack?

You were just playing me too.

The school is huge and looks just as creepy as the rest of the scenery. It's old and decayed, practically rotting in some areas and falling apart in others. There's bats hanging from rafters. That whole haunted house nonsense. It would be funny if it weren't so serious for the kid next to me. I can handle myself but this kid here…

It's not long before we find the room. It's classroom 2A, on the second floor. The more Tsukune Aono looks around the more worried he gets realizing the little things; the flawed glamors here and there. The faces that don't look right and the fingers that are just a bit too long.

Things are not quite right here. That crazed look that you see on those people before they are about to die. That's what I am seeing in the kid. "I never asked you your name, kid. What is it?"

I already know having plucked it from his mind. Tsukune Aono. Just hoping it make it out there like every other kid. Just hoping to fit in. Just hoping to make it past midnight so he can see tomorrow. That's what he is worried about.

"Aono Tsukune, nice to m-meet you Hiryu-san." He gets frightened as he notices some less than human occupants in my classroom.

"Don't worry Tsukune, I will explain everything after class. Now just stay calm and go along with whatever I say. Okay?" As an afterthought I say just one more thing. "Oh, and just call me Ryu. Don't bother with the honorifics either."

Tsukune nods his head in compliance as he takes a sit near a girl with pink hair. How is that hair color even natural?

I clear my throat. "Good evening students of Yokai Academy. My name is Hiryu Ryutaro but just call me Ryu. I will be teaching you human ethics and culture. What that means is that you will be learning how to eat, breath, socialize, and act like a human does. As long as you are in my class I expect all of you to do your best to be human. That includes those of who need to find better disguises as I can see more than a few who would not be able to pass as one."

Those yokai in question do their best to hide their mandibles, tentacles, and other inhuman extremities. Some covering themselves with scarfs others with hoodies. I suppose that will do for now.

"That's a good start. Since this is the first day of class I would like all of you to introduce yourselves, share your likes and dislikes, and your personal experiences with humans. Of course none of you have to share what kind of yokai you are as that is against school regulation. You go first, Tsukune."

I smile at the boy. He is practically about to die of fright. "M-My name is Aono Tsukune. I like chocolate a-and not dying. No wait, I meant rock n' roll! Yes rock n' roll, yeah it's great! Ronnie James Dio… the best." Tsukune can only slump deeper and deeper into his seat.

That poor boy. At least he didn't pee his paints.

"Yes, that's quite interesting! Next how about you…" I look at the attendance list and pick a name at random. "How about you Komiya Saizo?"

Saizo is huge compared to the other students. If I were to gather he is at least 6'4. The glamor is good enough. Besides the height, there's nothing unusual just blonde (dyed from the looks of things) hair and brown eyes. Perfectly normal.

"The names Saizo. I like eating humans, and raping their women. I also enjoy long moonlight walks on the beach. Volleyball is fun too. Not a fan of rugby though."

This is going to be difficult.

"You don't say?" I twirl a pen in my fingers, trying not to snap at him on the raping bit. "That's a very distasteful hobby to have, you know?

"What are you talking about? Volleyball's a great sport teach! You never played it before?"

"Are you serious?" This is going to be very difficult.

"That's not what I was talking about Saizo."

"I will have you know men enjoy walking on the beach at night too. The sand between my toes feels great. I don't know why you would hate that."

This is going to be very, very difficult.

"Not that either, Saizo." I try to keep my voice even but it's hard. I could only imagine how Tsukune was taking all this.

"Oh, you mean the eating humans and raping human women thing?" Saizo realizes with a sudden epiphany. "What's wrong with that? It's great!" The huge kid leans forwards, beginning to gesture with his hands. "You know, the first time I did it was the greatest! It was this brunette and her boyfriend. The guy was easy to kill and was trying to protect her. Freaking jumped in front of her and everything. Got torn clean in two when I clawed at him. Then the girl started screaming and tried to put him back together. There was blood everywhere, man. You should have seen it! Man she was so shocked she didn't even try to stop me when I tore her clothes off. I forced her down and then that's when the real fun started. The girl stopped screaming after a couple hours of it. Kind of just went catatonic after I finished. Then I just left her there and took what was left of her boyfriend to eat later. He tasted great…"

That's when several things happened. First, Tsukune got out of his chair in an attempt to run towards the classroom door and get out before he could become Saizo's next meal.

Second, pretty much every creature within the vicinity of the campus shat themselves in perfect unison as I let loose with enough of my presence to kill the average human being outright. My aura of death and awe practically killed Tsukune Aono and left him foaming at the mouth. The rest of my students did not fare much better.

Thirdly, Komiya Saizo had to deal with the brunt of it and much worse as he feels his blood simmer to a boil until he catches on fire and finally… explodes. The shower of super-heated blood and bone acted as shrapnel shredding the students near him but doing no real permanent damage. Besides a few minor burns that is.

Which leads us to this.

"So, on your first day as a teacher you killed one of your students. Can't say I am surprised." The Headmaster takes a puff of his cigar. That same damn smirk is on his face like it always is. "I was expecting you to kill Saizo the moment you heard him bragging about his 'exploits' after all. It's for the best as well. I had him under suspicion of being a part of a certain organization that has been trying to undermine my school." Are we not a bit too composed for something like this, Headmaster?

"Which organization would that be?" I grit my teeth, trying to maintain what little composure I have as I realize I was manipulated by someone yet again.

"Fairy Tale. That's what they call themselves. You did a good job fixing your students memories as well. By tomorrow morning all of your students will not remember a single thing about a Saizo Komiya. Instead, it was just a normal first day learning about the wonders of ethics. One problem. Why didn't you change his?" The Headmaster points to the kid in my arms.

"It wouldn't matter. He already knows something is weird considering his condition." I lay the kid on a coach. Going to have a lot of nightmares about me, won't you?

"Yes, he's human. It won't help you if he fears you. I suspect you want to help him, right? Ryu-san." The Headmaster is as calm as can be, as if he has been through this a thousand times before.

"You're not wrong but what would be best would be to send him on a bus back home. You won't let me though." I already knew the answer.

"No, I won't."

"You're a bastard."

"I am."

"Why are you doing this?"

"I need to know."

"Know what?! How long a kid just fresh out of middle school can survive surrounded by monsters who would eat him as soon as chat him up will last until he croaks?" This bastard was insane. That's the only explanation I could come up with. There was no way I would just lay down and let this happen.

"No, what I need to know is if a human can accept us and live with us knowing just what we're capable of. Ryu-san, he knows what you are capable of now. Are you not curious whether he will continue to fear you or whether he will grow to see you as his teacher?" That doesn't matter. What matters is whether he is going to be able to survive this.

"I don't give a damn about your ideals." It's the truth. When it comes to them I will throw them away if need be to do what's right. This is what's right.

"Oh, but you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't be willing to go out of your way to save kine and kindred alike." The Headmaster knew far too much about me. Just how much did my old friend Maximillian Strauss tell him?

"…"

What the fuck was I doing here? Just what the hell sort of experiment was I a part of?

"It's his choice." That was my answer. "It's up to him whether he stays or leaves after this. I will talk to him and I will ask him after class tomorrow. If he wants to go, he gets to go. If he wants to stay, he gets to stay. Whatever choice he makes you will accept it."

"And if I don't?" The Headmaster takes the cigar out of his mouth and crushes it in his hand.

"I will make you accept it." My eyes burn like hellfire, as a surge of electricity and crackling power—potence—passes through my fists. I suppose it's time to educate the Headmaster on what I am truly capable of?

I really wished I could have liked this boss.

* * *

"This is some good tomato juice." Moka Akashiya liked her teacher. Her head feels a bit fuzzy and she can't remember a lot of the things about this morning's class but at the very least she could tell that part was true. Ryu seemed so nice. He doesn't look at all like what she expected someone Japanese to look though.

"Must be a faulty transformation." That's probably it. Maybe Ryu bought the wrong glamor or something. Not once does it enter Moka's mind that Ryu could have not been Japanese at all.

"Why was I in the cafeteria again?" That question would plague the young vampire's mind for about another twelve seconds before a loud noise cuts off her line of thought and shakes the entire school.

If Moka Akashiya had known the reason behind it she would have told Ryu to show some restraint and not be so violent. However, Moka Akashiya did not know the reason behind it so she just shrugged her shoulders and continued drinking her tomato juice.

There were other things to worry about. Most particularly, that Tsukune Aono. There was a certain scent about him that she just couldn't resist. Moka wondered if his blood would taste as good as he smelled.

Soon Moka would find out.

* * *

"Well, that was refreshing." I dust off my hands. The Headmaster is seeing little more than birds flying around his head, literally. There were not some hallucinations caused by some trauma to the head. I had used the discipline of animalism to call in a swarm of woodpeckers to capitalize upon my victory at one point.

The sound of them tapping at the Headmaster's skull was music to my ears. As well as his grunts of shame. "We have a deal then?"

"Y-yes." The Headmaster murmurs between each of the birds pecking at his skull, trying to get at the delicious red syrup beneath it. "Aono Tsukune may leave if he pleases."

"Good." There wasn't much left of the Headmaster's office besides the two of us in it. The rest was either ground to dust or lit on fire. There was also a sizeable hole where a wall should have been.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hiryu!" A teacher with a noticeable pair of cat ears on her head peeks in from the hole I made in the wall. "Who is going to be paying for this exactly?"

"You would be?" I eye her. Well, would you look at that she even has a tail?

"Nekonome Shizuka." Shizuka, tries to make her way her past the pieces of debris on the floor. "I teach here."

"I noticed." Actually, I didn't but I am trying to be cool here.

"Who exactly is going to pay to fix this hole in the Headmaster's office?" Oh, that. That's bad. It leads right into the faculty lounge.

"Well, that's a good question Ms. Nekonome and I think—OH MY GOD, IS THAT A GIANT TUNA?!" I point to something behind her that's clearly not there.

"Where?" Shizuka Nekonome does not hesitate for a second. It's been hours since she had a good fish and the cat in her could not resist such a pleasant temptation. "There's… nothing there." Just some other teachers looking just as confused as she is. Where's the tuna?

"Mr. Hiry—"

It was too late. I had made my daring escape. Thank you dirty tactics 101. You have always done right by me.

Shizuka is completely still, contemplating what just happened. Her left knuckle is under her chin, and she looks to be as if in deep thought. Not very deep thought of course but a sort of kind of deep thought. About as deep as a wild animal who is hungry can get. So, not very but still kind of deep. You know what I am saying? "He tricked me."

And finally Shizuka Nekonome figured it out.

"He must have grabbed it while I wasn't looking."

That will do, girl. That will do.

* * *

So, review and all that. Does it suck? What should I improve? Grammar, spelling, and the works?

As far as power goes, Ryu is a jack of all trades sort of cainite. He is adept in many disciplines but a master of none. The most he could manage to get them to was five as far as P&P ranking goes. However, as he knows so many he is able to handle himself in nearly any situation in regards to his fellow undead. The only reason he could learn so many in such a sort amount of time is because of his abnormal growth rate. Kindred get stronger with age, and the player character in VTM: Bloodlines is able to become of one the most dangerous of the damned in Los Angeles in the span of only a few nights. In contrast to other kindred who take hundreds of years to get that powerful and skilled. Simply put, like Christof Romuald he is a freak of nature as far as cainites go.

It's been five years since LA, and he did nothing but grow in that time.

Ryu's real name and how things went down I will generally leave a mystery but there are some obvious things. He is on friendly terms with Maximillian Strauss but dislikes the Camarilla. He has no qualms with the Anarchs and is fond of some of them to an extent but thinks they're hypocrites and similar to the Camarilla in their own way. Beckett is the only kindred that Ryu trusts without suspicion. Mercurio still provides Ryu with weapons as well as blood, and a similar trust exists between them. They're friends that been through all the horseshit the Camarilla can throw at them. I took some liberties and am going to basically exaggerate Mercurio's "connections." Now the old mobster has them literally everywhere. Just so it can be easier to explain where Ryu is able to get half the stuff he does.


	2. Gone Fishing

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, son. Nothing at all but what the ghetto life made me. A taxidermist.

So yeah, here is the second chapter and as usual review and stuff. If I made a mistake in grammar and spelling please note it.

* * *

There was fire, and there was ash.

Screams of people I thought I knew, and others I didn't know were all around me. It was the coming of a new age. The final nights had reached their peak. The ancients had awoken and no one could stop them. No one would stop them. Older than the great deluge their power is inconceivable. More than that power was the voraciousness of their appetite.

These ones were so very hungry. They drank, and they devoured, and they hunted down their own progeny. Their own childe. Fathers and mothers alike, and they took pleasure in devouring their young. What a mockery of parenthood. They did not stop there. Men were next. The mortals did not have the strength to fight them.

That was when he appeared. I have seen him before. Now he looks different, almost determined. A man with many regrets but at the same time a pride in himself. No, a confidence.

Who was it? The man would fight the ancients, and the man would win.

A man with hair as red as blood, and burning wings. I thought for a second that it was an angel but that couldn't be. Since they had all since abandoned the world along with their God.

The charisma of this man was greater than any, and he could convince even the most despicable of beasts to his cause. That cause was one born out of… compassion. Yes, love.

The man loved the men and women who lived and died on this rotting world. He loved for them for all the good and the bad they would bring about. Their strengths and faults were something he accepted without hesitation. Unlike the God of old he did not judge. He merely taught and guided to the best of his ability.

He wanted to give knowledge to the world so he did. Unjustly, he was punished for it in spite of his pure intentions. Those who followed him were punished as well, and driven so deep down into the black that they lost themselves. They became things so horrifying that not even the old ones could compare.

Those bound to earth. What terrible monsters. I pray that I would never meet them.

The man with burning wings would fight those abominations as well. However, this was a fight he would not win for they were like him and they were far too many.

Not alone at least. No, he would need help. He would need my help.

"Child of Caine, would you join me?" The man in red speaks, and for the life of me I cannot refuse him for he is so much like me. A fighter, and a survivor. A person who would always be steadfast in his ideals and his sense of right. Not a single compromise would the red man accept from foe and ally alike.

This war would not end without a fight.

* * *

"Mister Hiryu, can you wake up?" Aono Tsukune tries to shake me from my dreams. It was a fruitless endeavor. If I would wake it would be on my terms as always.

The boy had woken up at some point. The scene of death and unexplained carnage in my classroom yesterday allocated him with a bit of clarity on his situation. This school and this place were not normal, and it was not just some nightmare of his. Tsukune now knew that this was more than just some bad dream. It was all so very real. Just as real as those new stains of crimson upon his school uniform. Who would pay for that he wondered?

The only reason Tsukune did not run out of my office screaming was the note I left unceremoniously on him. I had taped it to his forehead just so he wouldn't miss it before I went into my slumber.

_Dear Tsukune,_

_I am sorry about what happened yesterday. I know you're human but don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. We can discuss what you should do after I wake up. It may take a while. I am currently hibernating for the lack of a better term. It's something common among my kind. It's different from sleep and the reason I decided to fall into this torpor (as my kind refers to it) was to test something. Don't worry. It's nothing that will kill me. Probably. _

_Yours truly,_

_Hiryu Ryutaro_

"Probably?" That sounds a bit too uncertain for comfort. What kind of monster was his teacher? That was the thought that pervaded Tsukune's mind at this very moment.

He probably would have figured it out what I was if I had left the coffin the Headmaster was so kind to provide me with in my office. An interesting sense of humor that Headmaster has. I wasted no time throwing it out the nearest window and replacing it with an actual bed that I "confiscated" from one of the student dorms. No one uses coffins these days.

Not even primogens like Max bother with them anymore. Strauss just uses a couch instead. It's a very good couch by the way. Very fancy looking and everything, with red leather that for some reason is reinforced with blood magic. No shame to be had in it.

Which I had also managed to confiscate without my old friend's knowledge. I should probably work on that kleptomania of mine. At any rate, Tsukune found himself on Max's wonderful couch with the extra soft cushions only to wake up to the sight of me and freaked out before finding my little letter.

He only broke seven pieces of my fine china which is a record by several measures of freaking out. It's the whole reason I decided to buy some fine china in the first place. So, I could reprimand the boy for it later. No, I don't have a problem. No, I am not insane. Yes, I am not a malkavian.

Oh come on, don't be like that. A lot of people do it. I swear.

"Honestly, how much of my fine china did you have to break?" Abruptly, my eyes open as the torpor ends as quickly as it began. The visions were quite bad this time. I wonder if Rosa had to deal with stuff like this all the time.

A man in red, and the end of the world. What a blast that was. Just as different as all the other possible visions of Gehenna I had. Just how many ways could the world end?

"They were right next to the couch and I didn't see them. Why did you even put them there?" The second Tsukune had seen me he had gotten so startled that he tripped and fell on them. Besides a few scrapes, the boy was okay. You could not say the same about the fine china.

Just as I had envisioned. I try to hide my ominous chuckle. Can't let him catch on, can I? "They belonged to my grandmother too." My grandmother was dead, and all she had to her name was an old autographed photo of Babe Ruth. I had gotten them at a pawn shop for only a hundred yen. A great price if I do say so myself. "They were worth five hundred thousand yen."

"T-That's a lot of yen." Tsukune can barely do anything other than stutter at this point. How would he be able to pay that back?

"Don't worry about it." That's what I say but…

"I will mail your parents the bill." It is fun to see someone all flustered and worried over something so mundane. You could call it a personal vice of mine.

"G-Great, that's just great." Tsukune's parents would kill him. If this place didn't he was sure they would.

"Now let's get on with business. This is a school for monsters as you have no doubt figured out by now." I stretch my arms and legs, the torpor really lets the rigor mortis to set in. I should probably get a drink of some blood to clear that up. "It's a dangerous place, and I won't lie to you; if it had been someone else who found out your secret there's a good chance they would have just killed you."

"I-I see." Tsukune coughs trying to clear his throat. "What happed with Saizo in class, was that normal?"

"No, we don't usually get murderers and rapists. Not that the monsters here are saints. There are some folks here that have to eat humans just to survive. While there are others that just want to live in peace with them, it's just that it is not across the board." I pull a packet of Marlboros out of my jean's pocket, take one cigarette, and put it in my mouth. I snap my fingers and it lights. A fairly dull use of _that_ branch of thaumaturgy but I don't have a lighter. "What I mean is that monsters are just as variable as humans when it comes to personality. There are ones that just want to live their lives just as much as there are ones that want to ruin everyone elses lives."

Tsukune goes mute at that. "I actually meant what you did but alright."

Guess I can't avoid it. "Yeah, I lost my temper and I killed him. What can I say? I don't like it when people enjoy that sort of thing."

"Yeah." The only thing the kid can do is agree with me. "What about you Ryu? What you do think of you know…" Tsukune has some trouble asking the question. After all, what if the way he words it offends me? I am a guy who can blow people up by looking at them funny. That's got to be intimidating, right?

"Humans?" I take a long drag of my cigarette before I answer that question. "I don't hate them. After all, I used to be one."

That surprised the kid. I could tell just by how much his eyes suddenly almost popped out of his head. "It was five years ago but I remember what it's like. I had a family, a mother and a father. The works. It was alright for a while. Then I left one day trying to make my own way in the world." I figure if I tell him it might ease some of his worries.

"It fell apart real fast. I went to a bar one night. Met this real nice girl. My god was she beautiful. If you could have seen her you have probably thought the same. Her name was Sophia, and she liked a good mystery. It was all she talked about. Managed to even get me really interested in it too. It started off slow but we started seeing each other more often. We talked about ourselves, and our jobs. Just normal things like how to properly hunt a polar bear. Okay, maybe not so normal but still it didn't matter what we talked about. We would always just get lost in ourselves as hours would pass."

"It sounds like you loved each other." The kid wasn't the sharpest one out there but he wasn't blind either. "You said it all fell apart though?"

I just nod my head. "Yeah, it did." I don't like talking about this. Besides Mercurio, the only other one person who knows about her is… Venus.

I omitted the fact Sophia was a kindred of course in that case. If I had told Venus I doubt she would have believed me anyway. In spite of how intimate we used to be and the fact that I singlehandedly wiped out the Russian mafia in LA just for her. It was strange how Venus never questioned me about how I did that.

"It started slow but Sophia started drinking my blood as we met each other each night. I just thought it was some sort of weird kinky foreplay at the time so I just went with it." I smirk, revealing my pearly white fangs. "Oh, but it wasn't my neck she was biting into and _nibbling_ just so you know."

The kid flushes a bright red. Probably a virgin. I'll just let him imagine just where else Sophia could have been sinking her teeth into.

"So, Sophia was a vampire?" Tsukune tries to get the image out of his head. That was way too much information.

"Yes but the proper term in this particular case of vampirism is kindred or cainite depending on what you prefer. I could get into the history of why we are called cainites as well but I hate history so I won't." It would take several days and a replica of the Book of Nod to do it justice. That's just for the basics as well.

Beckett made sure I would respect that history even if I did hate to sit through hours of speeches on it. It does not help that he could only speak in sarcasm. I was never sure whether he was being serious or not.

"It wasn't until Sophia turned me into a cainite that I realized what she was. I didn't hate her for making me like her. After all, the only reason Sophy did it was so I could live in her world." There's a tinge of melancholy in my voice. What would things have been like if Sophia was still alive? I wonder if she would have taught me to adjust to my new status as one of the damned. I wonder if we would have been happy in our unlife together. "Then the Camarilla found me."

"What's the Camarirra?" Memo to self, make sure that Tsukune signs up for an English course if he decides to stay here against his better judgment.

"It's an organization consisting of various clans of kindred that differ in a host of ways from each other. Officially they are supposed to maintain order between those clans, and make sure the masquerade remains prevalent in society today." After taking one last puff of my cigarette I toss the butt of it to the floor, and crush it beneath the heel of my sneaker. "As powerful as we are humanity outnumbers us greatly and there are those among mankind that are unique." The mages, and hunters in particular. "That would pose problems for us so we keep ourselves secret. That is the masquerade. Otherwise, we try to live in peace with the kine—what we call you humans—and just try to live our new lives."

"What about unofficially?" The kid catches on quick.

"Unofficially the Camarilla exists to serve and provide for the older generations of our kind who seek to dominate and control the younger generations. It's usually done under the facade of the greater good for both kine and kindred when really they are just power hungry. They can't stand not being in control of everything either. When it comes down to it most of them are just looking out for their own selfish interests." I have to give them some credit though. "However, they are not as bad as the Sabbat who are just a bunch of violent sociopaths and zealots believing themselves the instruments of Caine himself. In comparison to them, the Camarilla are practically saints."

"I think I get it…" Tsukune does not really understand, if he was being honest himself but that's all he can think of saying. "Who is Caine though?"

"The mythical progenitor of the kindred. At least, that's what some of us think. No one is really sure." That should about cover all our bases, and the kid looks like he is ready enough to trust me now. That's good. "So, what will you do now?"

"I don't know." Aono Tsukune was in shock for the most part. Most of the things he thought were just stories now might all be real. How does one deal with something like that? Part of him was excited, and another part wanted to just run away. "Can I just go back home?"

"You can if you want." I leave out the fact that I made sure that the kind could, personally. A favor you owe me that you don't need to know about kid. Just consider it a nice little present. "Do you?"

"I am not sure." The answer was quick. There were no other schools that would accept him. This is quite literally Tsukune's only chance at getting a high school education. This or he just goes straight to work but what kind of work could he find with just a middle school diploma? That won't look good on any resume. Not to mention college. He has not even thought of that.

What would his future be like here?

"You would probably die before you could even get a future." I blurt that out a bit too bluntly. What can I say the kid thinks real loud and being proficient in both the disciplines of auspex and dominate makes it hard _not_ to hear what people are thinking.

Tsukune just ignores me though. No, the kid is just too deep in thought to worry about death. "I won't have much of a life without it."

"You would have a boring life, and have a boring job but at least you would have your life. It's not much but it's better than nothing. If you stay here your life is not guaranteed by any measure of the word. You can really die here."

"I don't want 'better than nothing' I want something…" What does he want? "Something different from what I have been my whole life. I was always the average student. The one no one noticed. I just did my work and went home. That's it. I am sick of that."

"You're so sick of it that you're willing to chance death and possibly worse for some contrived change from what you have been your whole life?" I shake my head. That's just crazy. That's something a malkavian would do not a human.

"Maybe." A flash of doubt crosses Tsukune's face. "I don't know. It's just that I feel that I have got a shot here. I am scared I won't lie but even more than that there's this feeling of…"

"Awe?" I could feel it too. The kid's breath was taken away by this place. It was not just fear lurking in the bowels of his soul. There was a thirst too. A desire for more and the want of adventure. The kid was a kid, and as afraid as he was of death he was more afraid of the monotony of what he had before.

There was something else though. Something greater. A passion that burned like fire. A flash of pink and green. A smile, and a rosario.

The boy was in love. I couldn't help seeing it, and in no time I was laughing. It seems we both have a weakness for draculinas. "Moka, that's her name."

"What?" The kid is at a loss. "That girl with the pink hair. You like her, right? Moka Akashiya that's her name."

"N-No I don't I barely know her!" I should probably tell his parents to teach him how to lie better. Unless they take offense to that sort of thing. A good criminal education helped me survive after all. It should do wonders for Tsukune.

We will just have to wait for the parent teacher conference for that chat.

Fuck, that's right. What will I do about that if the kid decides to stay? Tsukune, you are making my job harder than it needs to be. Just leave already damn it.

"Okay, since you are not sure about what you want to do I am just going to let you stay at the academy for another day or two. After that time is up I want a clear answer. Alright?" If only Advil still worked for me. I need something to get rid of this migraine.

"Yes, Ryu-san!" There are those damned honorifics again. I cannot understand for the life of me why they even exist. Well, I do but I still hate them.

The boy leaves after saying goodbye. It's short but polite.

I hope that I didn't make a mistake giving him time to decide. It's just a couple days, right? "What could possibly go wrong?"

I realize in stark horror what I just said.

* * *

"Finally." That talk with Ryu had exhausted everything Tsukune had in him. It was tiring just talking to the man and the piercing stare did not help. It was like he was reading his mind but that couldn't be true right?

Then again, Tsukune did forget to ask just what these kindred could do. Maybe they could. "Vampires are the last thing I expected when I came here." You know, he was just hoping it would be a normal school. Sure, that pamphlet just kind of dropped out of nowhere or so his father told him but come on. This is ridiculous.

It was exciting despite all that. There's nothing else that made him feel quite as alive as when he was here. The odd sights whilst frightening at first began to grow on him. Obviously, there was a lot of things that were still surprising him but maybe with Ryu helping him he could make it here. Becoming something big even. Maybe even a doctor.

Just maybe.

"Moka." The name sounded silly but he loved it. "Moka, Moka, Moka." He couldn't stop smiling even if he tried.

If Tsukune had not been so lost in thought he would have noticed the sudden booming of thunder in the distance, and the fact that the shadows near him were inching towards him as if to snare him.

However, Tsukune did not notice these strange phenomena and went on his merry way. Perhaps if he had he would had known that his teacher had doomed him with a few choice words.

There are some things you never say, and "what could possibly go wrong" is one phrase that is especially powerful. It goes right up there with "may you live in interesting times" in terms of life threatening danger. Normally, it would not be that bad if a human were to speak such a thing. They do it all the time and most of them are about as mystical as a stage magician who has had too much to drink.

However, if the person who says those damned idioms is already cursed to begin with and that curse was brought upon them by the Elohim themselves indirectly or otherwise, then that's a different story entirely.

A very, very different story indeed.

* * *

I haphazardly try to sort through my suitcase looking for some incense and that old Buddhist scripture I had gotten from Beckett as a gift before we parted ways.

I can't believe I said "what could possibly go wrong" that's up there with "I got a bad feeling about this." The last time a cainite did something like that it rained meteors for a week in Chicago. Admittedly, the idiom used then was much worse but with a cainite as abnormal as myself it probably won't matter.

I could probably exorcise whatever curse I summoned with a blood ritual. Hopefully, it's before Tsukune is eaten alive by a swarm of locusts or worse.

"A cross, and probably some holy water too." I make a note of what to bring. I shove them into the backup I brought with me. Then I put on a holster, and grab my colt anaconda. The bullets are made out of silver and blessed by a local priest. Oddly enough, they never ask why I need the bullets blessed. Knowing how things are hunters must be asking for the stuff all the time now. Add a bit of astrolite for an extra explosive kick, and some depleted uranium for good measure and you got yourself the best bullets for just about anything from gargoyles to the nomadic garou. Well, against the ones that can't dodge bullet at any rate. They work great against tanks too but that's a story for another day.

I open the chamber and check. "Only four shots, that's just great." I shouldn't have wasted them on those wraiths a week ago.

It will have to be enough. I will just rely on thaumaturgy for anything else that might try to kill us. It will probably work. Otherwise, it will have to be potence that will save us.

I don't waste any time as time appears to slow to a crawl as I use celerity and jump out of my office window. I am nothing but a blur as I speed through the forest towards the academy.

The shockwaves I make as I breeze past some students blowing skirts away, and tearing clothes off outright in some cases. Their shrieks of embarrassment can't even reach me as the sound is just too slow to keep up with me at this rate.

I could only imagine the unspeakable terror Tsukune could be going through at this very moment. What nightmares lay in wait for the boy?

* * *

At this very moment Aono Tsukune was probably one of the happiest men on the planet. "So, you like tomato juice too?" Not a lot people other than himself ever appreciated it in his old school. There was just something about it that he loved. It was just so tomatoey.

"What's your favorite brand?" Moka Akashiya was happy that she had found this Aono Tsukune. He had such good taste. Only the best people could appreciate the wonders of tomato juice after all. They had found each other in the school's cafeteria. It was practically empty at this time. Just the perfect place for two people to talk about anything.

"I usually drink Kagome but I also like Asahi." They were only partly focused on the conversation itself. Aono Tsukune couldn't help looking at the Rosario on Moka's neck. It was so beautiful. Not to mention her bright green eyes. They were just so much life in them.

Moka on the other hand couldn't help thinking about how _delicious_ Tsukune smelled. It made her want ask if she could have a taste of his blood but she wasn't sure. How does one ask that question without it sounding weird?

You smell good you mind if I take a bite out of you? Just for some blood. No, that won't go well at all.

"Say Tsukune, do you mind if I ask you what you are?" Moka's curiosity got the better of her and she just had to know. What could possibly smell so delicious? "Your species I mean."

"U-Um," The stutter returns. "D-Don't you think you it's a bit too soon for that?"

"Oh that's right, I haven't even properly introduced myself. I am Moka Akashiya, and I am a vampire. Your turn!" The brightness in Moka's eyes made it hard to resist telling her. There wasn't anyone quite as friendly as she was.

Tsukune, on the other hand, was reeling from that bit of information. Moka did not even have the same paleness that Ryu did. Nor those piercing eyes that he had. If anything Moka was the exact opposite of intimidating. But wait, didn't Ryu say there were different clans? Maybe Moka belonged to a different one from Ryu. Yes, that must be it.

"I am Aono Tsukune and I am a…" What should he tell her? He couldn't just say he was human. That could get him killed, and he wasn't about to trust some random person he just met with that information. Not until he knew he could trust them with it. No matter how nice they were. Or, how beautiful he thought they looked. "Dragon." Yes, that could work. "I'm a dragon." Now Tsukune was a terrible liar and nearly anyone could have called him out on this bluff.

"Really?!" The thing was that Moka was not nearly anyone, and far too naïve to do anything but believe. "That must be so cool. Do you dragons really breathe fire?"

"Y-Yes." The boy who was totally not a dragon affirmed Moka's childish belief, and it was the start of one very strange friendship. "I do."

It would only make things harder later on.

* * *

"Miss Nekonome, do you know where my student Aono Tsukune is?" The curse was screwing with my senses, and I couldn't make heads or tails of where he was. Normally, I would be able to track someone even if they were hundreds of miles away. Now it's like he is everywhere and nowhere, and everything in between. It's giving me a headache just thinking about it.

"I do." Nekonome Shizuka muttered between sips of her coffee.

"Great, where is he? I have something important I need to tell him." Finally, I got a lead. Maybe my luck is not as bad as I thought.

"That depends." Nekonome Shizuka was a very spiteful woman. "Do you have a giant tuna?"

Oh great, this again. "I told you I didn't steal it Shizuka. It wasn't even there to begin with." The hole in the faculty lounge was still clear as day, and the Headmaster was busy at work reviewing grades and various student histories. Probably checking for another Fairy Tale agent that sneaked their way in.

"Then you better make it real fast. If you want to find that student of yours." My left twitches as I resist the urge to snap at her. Throwing Shizuka through a wall won't help my situation any.

It would make me feel good though. "Okay, you want a fish I'll get you a damn fish—"

"A giant tuna. I will accept no substitutes." The more I talk to Shizuka the more I want to kill her. That damn cat.

"A giant tuna, alright." There's an ocean nearby anyway. There should be a few out there. I can probably catch a couple quickly if I look hard enough.

I just hope that Tsukune can last that long. The curse must be getting worse. The kid must have already been through hell and back by now.

* * *

This is probably one of the best days of Aono Tsukune's life. Not only did he find a friend in Moka Akashiya but it turns out they both like Time Crisis as well. Truly, no one appreciates light gun games like they do anymore.

"I got your flank Moka!" Tsukune aims the plastic gun at the figures on the screen, as he expertly takes out two terrorists.

"Just make sure to keep up with me!" Moka shouts in-between the sounds of the machine telling them to reload. Who would have thought that Yokai Academy would have its own arcade?

"This is awesome!" If you had told Tsukune that he would be playing videogames instead of going to class he would have nervously told you that he needs to study hard and can't risk missing anything. Today though, it doesn't really matter. This is just too much fun.

Besides that, every kid deserves a break don't they?

* * *

The water was an unusual shade of pink, and it was hard to make out just exactly what was down here in the depths. There was some things that I thought looked like squids but they had too many eyes, and far too many mouths for that to be the case.

I even managed to find an old cruise liner but for the life of me I can't figure out how it got there. I made the mistake of looking around it, and had a nasty encounter with some sort of giant aquatic lizard that breathed fire but I managed to escape thanks to a little bit of celerity.

I would have drowned by now if it weren't for fact that I don't need to breathe. That's one thing I am thankful for. My body simply adjusted to the freezing temperatures just as it always does as well. I was dead already by all technical counts and the cold just didn't bother me anymore. It made it hard to explain to kine why I was so icy all the time but as long as I avoided touching people they did not ask about it.

I must be thousands of meters below the surface by now. The things down here have gotten bigger but still no tuna in sight. How many hours had it been, anyway? I have to hurry.

Wait, what is this feeling? I turn around and there it is right in front of me. The size of it alone would cause grown men to squeal in fear.

The only thing I could manage was gargling some salty water before it swallowed me whole.

* * *

It was great to be alive. Of this Tsukune had no doubt. After finishing Time Crisis he and Moka found a bench to relax on. The both of them had bottles of tomato juice and it was just all the sweeter after their game.

"Anyway, it's getting late we better head to our dorms." It was almost night outside. Well, the closest thing to night this weird place had.

They're both silent at that. This is the moment where something unusual happens in those splatter films his father used to watch. Some crazed killer would come out of nowhere with a claw for a hand or something. Normally, Tsukune wouldn't worry about that but with how things are here you never know. There might be monsters like that out there.

"You want hang out at my place for a while?" Moka doesn't want it end so quickly, and besides she still had yet to get a taste of Tsukune's blood.

"I'm not sure if that's okay for me to just do. I-I mean I am a guy, you know?" Who knows what could happen, and he is not some sap would think he would get lucky but there's still the whole issue of being human. What if Moka gets too close and starts asking questions? What if she finds out that he lied?

He doesn't want to hurt Moka's feelings, and worse he doesn't want her to take it out on him if she does find out. What if she tries to kill him?

"It will be fine. I got a playstation so we can play some more games there if you like." Moka grabs Tsukune by the arm, and that's when he notices how strong she is. Moka practically lifts him off his feet with a single yank. That's going to be sore in the morning.

"I'm sorry Moka I can't!" Tsukune just barely manages to get out of her grip. "I just can't."

"Why not?" Moka notices how tense he is. It's impossible to hide with a nose and eyes like hers. What was wrong? "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's not that!" Tsukune does not want to see Moka blame herself. This was his fault. He lied to her after all.

"Then what is it?" Moka was genuinely confused now. Why was Tsukune acting so weird? He was so happy earlier but now...

"Moka what do you think of humans?" Tsukune could just keep on lying forever. He could keep the charade up for as long as he needs to but what's a friendship that's built upon lies but a shallow mockery of one?

"What brought this up?"

"Just answer the question Moka." This was something Tsukune needed to know.

"I…" Moka turns her head away from him. "I think I hate them."

"You think?" Tsukune slants his head to the side. That sounded weird like she was almost confused.

"Before I came here I used to go to a human school. It was…" Moka bites her lip. "Terrible. There were a lot of bad things that happened. " A lot of pain, and a lot misery. More than that there was… "I had a friend. Just one friend. The rest of them avoided me because they thought I was weird." Her pink hair was something people always liked to make fun of. "When I told someone I was a vampire it just got worse. I should have kept it to myself." Still, it wasn't all bad even then. "Toki that was his name. My friend. He loved computers a lot. Always brought his laptop everywhere." Slowly, a smile stretches across her face. "Played my first game with him. It was Tekken."

Moka begins picking at her fingers, trying to do anything to avoid looking into Tsukune in the eyes. "It was great when I was with him. We would go to arcades a lot." Moka voice begins to waver just a little. "When it got really bad at school, and the other kids would go too far he would draw attention away from me. He would do something dorky like dress up like a kamen rider so the other kids would be focused on him instead. The teacher would always yell at him for not wearing his uniform and he would just say 'as a hero of justice, this is my uniform evildoer' and get into fights with the other students."

"He sounds like he was a great friend." To be honest, Tsukune is just a bit jealous he never had someone like that. A friend that would go that far for him.

"He was." The past tense was not lost on Tsukune. "It started slowly you know. Toki would come in with a few bruises, and I just thought he got into another fight. They were bad though. Much worse than anything before. There were other times he would come in with a caste after he broke his arm somehow. He would say he 'fell off a tree after saving a cat' or 'got attacked by some masked villains.' I should have known better. I should have done something." Moka begins to lose the warmth in her voice, and it's replaced by something shaky and fragile. There's something glistening at the corner of her eyes. "It wasn't those kids that picked on me like I thought it was."

"W-Who was it then?" Maybe Tsukune shouldn't have asked.

"It was his father." There's a dead silence at that. "It just got worse, and Toki would just come up with excuses. He would say that it was no big deal. That he could handle it. The school even went out of its way to cover it up. The teachers didn't care. He was a delinquent anyway why should they bother with him, right?" Anger, that's all Tsukune could hear in Moka's voice at this point. A cold biting fury. "It wasn't until after I found Toki bleeding out in his own home, after his father had cracked his head open with a hammer that the bastard got thrown into prison. Just two years for everything he put Toki through. It turns out it was happening before we even met, and it was just easier to hide earlier. It wasn't as bad then. Toki was taking the brunt of it for his mother, and he was protecting her all that time. And you know what that harlot did?"

Moka's eyes glow red for just a split second but Tsukune notices. "She left Toki, and ran away. After she found out how much the medical bill was she left town and disappeared." Moka takes a deep breathe at that. "When I visit Toki and I see him sleeping with those bloody bandages on his head I can only think and wonder about just why these humans would do this sort of thing to each other. I can't figure it out and I hate it. I hate that anyone one would do that to someone else. That anyone would do that to my Toki and I get so angry sometimes that I just scream."

How exactly could Tsukune respond to all of that? After lying to Moka, would it even be right to tell her the truth now after she said all that? "If I was human what would think of me for lying to you about being a dragon?" He has to say it now. It's either now or never.

"I would call you a liar." Moka wipes away her tears on her sleeve. "That it's impossible for a human to find their way here. I know better though. I thought you smelt strange for a dragon. You see, I lied too." The warmth in Moka's smile returns. "I have met dragons before and you were definitely no dragon."

"So, this whole time you went along with it just so you could lie to yourself too?" Tsukune smiles, the more he learns about Moka the more he likes her.

"Well, I would give you some credit I did think that you might have been another yokai for a bit but when I saw how familiar you were with a light gun I figured as much. That, or you lived in the human world for a long time like I did." Toki taught her to always be observant, no matter the situation. "You know how dangerous it is for you here?"

"Yeah, I do." This place would probably kill him but there's this feeling Tsukune has got now. As if it would be worth it even if he died.

"Will you leave?" Moka wasn't sure if Tsukune should leave or not. On one hand he was in danger here, and on the other hand she would miss him if he left.

"Not even for all the gold in the world." Tsukune has made his decision. "I'm staying."

* * *

I would think being eaten alive is something new for me. I mean it's not something I am used to and I would prefer not having all of this stomach acid burning my clothes off. If it wasn't for the discipline of fortitude shielding my body from it with its eldritch might then my flesh and bones would have suffered the same fate.

I ran into what I think was an old pirate in here. Apparently this gargantuan tuna ate him and his whole ship. I like the black flag on the mast. It is real classy, with the skull and bones.

"So, how long have you been in here?" The pirate seemed nice enough. If a bit unhygienic but it's hard to shower when in the bowels of a giant tuna so I couldn't really blame him.

"Just a few hundred years lad. The name's Edward." He sticks his hand out for me to shake, and I oblige him.

"Just call me Ryu for now. Maybe I'll tell you my real name later if we're stuck in here for long enough." I am not planning on waiting for this thing to die of natural causes. "Would you happen to know where this thing's heart and brain are?"

"Aye, I would." Edward scratches at his scruffy black beard. "What it's to you?"

"Just a plan I have that might get us both out of here. If you're willing to take some risks that is." It would be quite the wild ride back up.

"Deadly I hope?" The best challenges were always the ones that could kill you. Edward was a privateer who loved himself a good fight. Mind you, it's best with some rum in hand but his stock went dry years ago. Being sober always made things harder for any half-decent scalawag.

"Oh yes." It would be deadly, and more than a little bloody. My vengeance upon you creature of the deep. My vengeance upon you.

My cackle then would have frightened lesser men but Edward simply joined in with his own twisted laugh.

Have at thee beast, I shall stab at you from hell's heart.


End file.
